State of Montana Archives: on Jobs


Greg Gianforte: Voted against bills strengthening unions

Q: Support "right- to-work" laws, eliminating unions' ability to mandate dues for workers they represent?

Greg Gianforte: Likely yes. Voted in Congress against bills strengthening unions, including one to give TSA employees same rights on the job as other federal workers.

Mike Cooney: No. Testified against 2019 House bill that would have further limited Montana public sector unions. "Why would anybody support people having the right to work for less?"

Source: CampusElect survey on 2020 Montana Gubernatorial race Nov 3, 2020

Mike Cooney: Opposed limiting Montana public sector unions

Q: Support "right- to-work" laws, eliminating unions' ability to mandate dues for workers they represent?

Mike Cooney: No. Testified against 2019 House bill that would have further limited Montana public sector unions. "Why would anybody support people having the right to work for less?"

Greg Gianforte: Likely yes. Voted in Congress against bills strengthening unions, including one to give TSA employees same rights on the job as other federal workers.

Source: CampusElect survey on 2020 Montana Gubernatorial race Nov 3, 2020

Mike Cooney: Adjust minimum wage based on cost of living and inflation

Q: Raise Montana state hourly minimum wage above current $8.65?

Mike Cooney: Yes. Supports state's regular adjustment of minimum wage based on cost of living and inflation.

Greg Gianforte: No. "Ultimately, greater economic growth raises wages, and we must keep the economy going to keep wages growing."

Source: CampusElect survey on 2020 Montana Gubernatorial race Nov 3, 2020

Steve Daines: 2014: States rather than Congress should set minimum wage

Q: Raise federal hourly minimum wage above current $7.25?

Steve Daines: No recent position found. In 2014 said states rather than Congress should set minimum wage.

Steve Bullock: Yes. "I will work to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour."

Source: CampusElect on 2020 Montana Senate race Oct 10, 2020

Wilmot Collins: Fight to increase minimum wage to $15

A $15 minimum wage isn't just the moral thing to do, it's the pragmatic and economic thing to do. With more purchasing power, more Americans would buy homes, take vacations, go back to school--stimulating the economy from the ground up, not trickle down. Join me in the #FightFor15 and when we win, the Senate will be one seat closer to making a $15 minimum wage the law of the land.
Source: 2020 Montana Senate campaign website WilmotCollins.com Jun 4, 2020

Wilmot Collins: End misclassifying employees as independent contractors

It is critical that we take the necessary action to maintain a strong middle class. We can work harder to implement basic labor standards for employees. We can make sure corporations are not gaming our system to benefit shareholders and CEOs rather than the workers trying to make ends meet. We will protect a worker's right to collectively bargain for better wages and employment, as well as fight to end misclassifying employees as independent contractors.
Source: 2020 Montana Senate campaign website, WilmotCollins.com Jan 12, 2020

Casey Schreiner: Spending on infrastructure will create jobs across state

Casey knows what it's like to struggle to find a job with a good-paying wage--his family has been there. In the legislature, Casey helped pass an infrastructure bill that will create jobs across the state, and he boosted trade school programs in Montana. As Work-Based Learning Director at the Department of Labor, Casey connects Montana's workforce with businesses in need. He knows what workers--and businesses--need to succeed.
Source: 2020 Montana governor campaign website CaseyForMontana.com Dec 31, 2019

Tim Fox: Market-oriented policies can promote high-wage jobs

Anti-business special interest groups continue to leverage their Democratic allies to promote a punitive regulatory environment that discourages economic growth. They've stymied valuable development in our state, robbing us of quality jobs and tax revenue needed to fund important services in communities across the state. Through collaborative, market-oriented policies, we can promote high-wage jobs that put food on the table for Montana families.
Source: 2020 Montana Governor campaign website FoxForGovernor.com Dec 2, 2019

Jon Tester: Raise minimum wage from $7.25/hr to $10.10

Q: Raise the federal minimum wage from $7.25/hr to $10.10 hr?

Matt Rosendale (R): No. Called Obama's proposal to do this "ridiculous."

Jon Tester (D): Yes. Would "help thousands of Montanans make ends meet."

Source: 2018 CampusElect.org Issue Guide on Montana Senate race Oct 9, 2018

Matt Rosendale: Don't raise minimum wage from $7.25/hr to $10.10

Q: Raise the federal minimum wage from $7.25/hr to $10.10 hr?

Matt Rosendale (R): No. Called Obama's proposal to do this "ridiculous."

Jon Tester (D): Yes. Would "help thousands of Montanans make ends meet."

Source: 2018 CampusElect.org Issue Guide on Montana Senate race Oct 9, 2018

Greg Gianforte: Address Montana's dismal national standing on wages

With the economy a focal point of the governor's race, Gov. Steve Bullock is attempting to position himself as an advocate of the working class. His likely opponent in November, Republican Greg Gianforte, has been criticizing the governor for the state's relatively dismal standing on wages. Bullock wants to see wages rise--particularly among women who aren't being paid fairly. He said Montana women make about 67 cents for every dollar made by men. And he noted the slow pace in which women are catching up to men in salaries. "At this rate, the gap won't close until the year 2080. That's unacceptable," he told the group. "I'd match our Montana work ethic up against any other state in the nation, and 39th in the country in pay equity is flat out not OK."
Source: The Missoulian on 2016 Montana Gubernatorial race Mar 11, 2016

John Edward Walsh: Supports increasing the minimum wage

While Walsh spent part of his Saturday night speech blasting Daines, he also spelled out some of his own positions, saying he supports increasing the minimum wage, cutting waste in the defense budget, allowing Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices and reforming the prosecution of sexual assaults in the military.
Source: Ravalli Republic on 2014 Montana Senate race Mar 9, 2014

Steve Bullock: J.O.B.S. Bill: Jobs and Opportunity by Building Schools

Montanans want us to take a balanced approach: Let's save some, invest some and give some back.

We can invest some. I ask you to join me in prioritizing job creation, education and a more effective government. The first step you should take in creating jobs and investing in education is to put politics aside and pass the J.O.B.S. Bill. The quality of our workers attracts businesses to invest here. It's called the J.O.B.S. Bill, which stands for Jobs and Opportunity by Building Schools. We can take advantage of historically low interest rates and immediately create thousands of jobs across the state--and do it without raising taxes.

Stand with me and the over 2,500 construction workers we want to put to work building world class schools for our world class workforce. And while we are at it, let's make sure that those 2,500-plus construction workers newly employed by the J.O.B.S. Bill are our friends and neighbors.

Source: 2013 State of the State Address to Montana legislature Jan 30, 2013

Steve Bullock: Enforce that construction projects hire Montana residents

Right now, we have a law on the books that is supposed to require that at least half of the workers on any construction project funded by state or local tax dollars be Montana residents, but it's riddled with loopholes and not enforceable. When taxpayer money is funding a project, let's put Montana companies and Montana workers first.

Let's work together to close these loopholes and expand this requirement to all projects--not just construction. And let's also significantly increase the proportion of Montana workers required on any state or locally funded project. I hope you will join me to pass this measure so we can put more money into the hands of Montana businesses and create more jobs for Montana workers.

Source: 2013 State of the State Address to Montana legislature Jan 30, 2013

Gary Perry: Ok to discount minimum wage for tipped workers

Excerpts from legislation: SB 253: Allowing Employers to Count Tips as Credit Against Minimum Wage: Remove the phrase: "excluding the value of tips received by the employee" from the existing law "the minimum hourly wage rate as provided under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938" and in existing law "excluding the value of tips received by the employee and the special provisions for a training."

OnTheIssues analysis: The minimum wage was set at $6.15 an hour; this bill would raise the minimum wage to $6.90 an hour, excluding the value of tips received by the employee. That means the minimum wage would go up for non-tipped employees, but would go down for tipped employees (if their tips summed to more than the difference of $-/75 an hour).

Legislative Outcome:Sen. Perry voted YES, SB 253 Senate rejected 21-29-0 on Feb. 3

Source: Montana legislative voting records: SB 236 Feb 3, 2009

Ryan Zinke: Don't discount minimum wage for tips

Excerpts from legislation: SB 253: Allowing Employers to Count Tips as Credit Against Minimum Wage::